Quentin Tarantino’s new list of the 12 greatest movies raises some questions

One of the things that seems to be part of being a lifelong film nerd is the making of lists. Obviously, I publish a list each year of what I consider the best films I’ve seen during the preceding 12 months, but I’ve also published lists that have to do with specific genres or that deal with something like my favorite films in a decade or even of all time.

In an interview I did with Edgar Wright yesterday, he talked about how as a kid he kept lists of all sorts of things. Films he wanted to see, films he’d seen already. I did the same thing, and I’ve known many film geeks over the years who have had their own lists at the ready. Quentin Tarantino was a hardcore film fan before anyone knew his name as a filmmaker, and one of the things that was clear going to see his various film festivals in Austin or Los Angeles over the years is that he is a omnivorous film consumer. He’ll watch anything, hoping for a gem or a discovery, and he’s shown me many movies that I never would have otherwise seen, some of which have become favorites of mine now as well.

That’s just silly. The truth is, most of us find our tastes constantly shifting or evolving over time, and if I made a list of my ten favorite films every five years throughout my life, I would imagine that list would change dramatically over time. There are films that seem to dissipate when I return to them, and other films that only grow stronger as I explore them repeatedly. That doesn’t mean I’m inconsistent, it just means that I’m not the same person each time I come back to a film. New experiences, other art, and even further work from the same artist might change the way I feel about something, and the dishonest thing would be to just pretend that things are set in stone and that my initial judgment is always exactly right.

Here’s the list of 12 titles that Tarantino just called the greatest of all time:

That is one seriously eclectic list of titles, and I would imagine the inclusion of “Pretty Maids” would irritate or confuse many people. I’m not surprised to see it there. When he screened it as part of one of his festivals, he seemed delighted by the opportunity to introduce it to new viewers.

Only five films appear on both lists, and the two lists have different films at the top. I’ve never seen “Five Graves To Cairo,” and until I read the list, I’ve never even heard of it. It’s a Billy Wilder film written by Charles Brackett, though, so I feel like that’s something I should change as soon as possible, and that is the reason lists like this actually matter. I don’t think QT’s taste is the end-all be-all endorsement, but I do think that he’s shown me enough films I’ve enjoyed that hearing he ranks something so highly is reason enough for me to track it down.

The same thing is true of the lists I publish. I’m not telling you that my opinion is the only one that matters or that you have to agree with my choices. The reason I make lists is so that I can hopefully encourage people to try something I love that maybe they haven’t heard of before, or something that they skipped for whatever reason.

Tarantino’s lists both demonstrate which filmmakers are most important to him, and when you see exploitation movies on both lists that other people might look on with total disdain, it’s obvious that he’s not a movie snob. He loves what he loves without hesitation or apology, and that is the model that I would love to see more filmmakers or more film writers follow. Don’t worry about the consensus. Don’t worry about what is or isn’t considered a classic. Love what you love and share that love with people as often as you can. And if you’re enthusiastic about different things at different times, congratulations, you’re human.

Now let me see if I can find a copy of “Five Graves To Cairo” to watch tonight.

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We covered the works of Billy Wilder on my podcast recently (PLUG: [www.hellisforhyphenates.com]), and that was the first time I’d heard of FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO as well. And, having seen it, I do not understand why it’s not generally considered an all-time classic. It’s one of the best war films I’ve ever seen.

(And speaking of Wilders that don’t have the reputation they really should, THE SPIRIT OF ST LOUIS. Also brilliant.)

By: bookjeff

08.22.2013 @ 3:14 PM

I was lucky enough to see Five Graves To Cairo years ago on commercial TV, and have seen it many times since, mostly on Turner Classic Movies, and once on the big screen at the Stanford Theater in Palo Alto, CA. One of my all time favorites. Eric Von Stroheim as Rommel is one of his greatest performances, right up there with Sunset Boulevard. Sadly this movie is not in print on DVD or Blu-Ray. You can probably stream it from somewhere though.

By: bookjeff

08.22.2013 @ 3:17 PM

Hold the phone! I just looked on Amazon and the DVD is finally available again, this time from TCM. It was released this past June. And is now in my shopping cart.

By: Paul S

08.22.2013 @ 5:20 PM

Five Graves is definitely one of the greats & you will will see how it influenced Mr Spielberg’s Indiana Jones films. I

By: Edward Copeland

08.22.2013 @ 1:24 AM

I’ve always held one unbreakable rule and another rule that has developed over time when it comes to making up a list of all time favorite films, be it the shorter 10 or the fuller 100. My concrete requirement: A film must be at least 10 years old to even qualify for the list. I believe movies (as well as movie critics) need to age like fine wine. No one should be able to say with a straight face that a film that was released in the previous few months belongs among the greatest of all times (though many Sight & Sound voters did). So, when I did my most recent Top 100 in 2012, no film released after 2002 was eligible. This leads to the other rule that hasn’t always been permanent, but now is. I only do a greatest film list every 10 years. When I was younger, I’d revise much more frequently. Before 2012, I hadn’t done a Top 100 since 2002 (when only films through 1992 could make the cut). I won’t revise my list again until 2022, when I will invite films from 2003-2012 to participate.

By: micguar

08.22.2013 @ 5:57 AM

I certainly understand your logic, although I think that kind of attitude can sometimes lead to recent films be completely ignored without proper consideration. I like it when newer films are championed alongside old ones as well. I was very pleasantly surprised, for instance, when the late Roger Ebert put The Tree of Life on his Sight & Sound list last year. I also think it should be pointed out that S&S voters in 1952 saw no problem with putting Bicycle Thieves, released only four years prior, on the top of their list, and that L’avventura nearly topped the 1962 list after having only come out in 1960.

By: Edward Copeland

08.22.2013 @ 1:56 PM

I base my rule on personal experience. Many films that I worshipped upon initial release, grow weaker in later viewings. By the same reasoning, other films only grow better. When they did have the foresight to Bicycle Thieves’ mastery so soon after its initial release, it’s important to remember that it was a time, unlike ours, when critics rarely had time or opportunity to return to films as we can now. There weren’t video or DVD or Blu-ray and if you were a working critic, there always something new to see and little time to see films again in repertory showing.

By: Dryden

08.22.2013 @ 1:37 AM

Sorcerer, just in time for the newly restored director’s cut to screen in Venice.

By: Mongo Needfood

08.22.2013 @ 4:06 AM

The top list is arranged alphabetically.

By: DKT

08.22.2013 @ 2:06 PM

Good catch! Hadn’t picked up on that, and now I’m even more amused at all the people whining about his changing tastes.

By: CinemaPsycho

08.22.2013 @ 6:28 AM

I like his early lists better…

Seriously though. Speaking of lists, Argento’s Dracula (aka Dracula 3D) is finally coming out in the US… in October. Just saying. Not trying to be an asshole… just pointing out a fact. That’s all.

By: brace

08.22.2013 @ 8:49 AM

I guess I’m one of the rare film lovers who don’t care about lists. I tried to make the list of my favorite films but I just couldn’t. it was impossible for me to choose and rank. I don’t take lists and awards seriously. it’s just fun, though not totally pointless (it turns our attention to worthy works), but it should not be definitive.
I think we should enjoy movies no matter on how many important lists they appear. there will always be great movies that are never on those lists, cause lists are all about consensus. so I totally agree with the last few sentences.

i actually saw five graves to cairo at the new beverly as part of a series tarantino programmed, but had never heard of it before that either. it was indeed excellent.

By: velocityknown

08.22.2013 @ 1:32 PM

I think it’s about time we abandon this “greatest” film(s) of all time notion and just tell people to pick their “favorite” film(s) if they want to do an “all time” list.

If you’re talking best of the year or decade, that’s one thing. But best or greatest of all time is just an idiotic task and request.

By: KlarkKent

08.22.2013 @ 2:42 PM

I definitely refer to my top five list as “favorites” instead of “best.” It’s changed in some respects over the years, with the fifth spot changing constantly until it was filled with Scott Pilgrim, where it’s remained. (Edgar Wright appears twice with Hot Fuzz. Rio Bravo, Rushmore and Ghostbusters round it out.) My main self-imposed rule is that I have to see a movie at least three times before it qualifies.
Actually, there used to be a fun website about ten years ago where people could rate their personal top 100 films, but then it closed to people outside the country it was from and eventually seemed to disappear. It was fun while it lasted though and was a really cool way to get an insight into people’s personalities. Did their picks change all the time? Did they choose a wide range of films from across the decades or were they almost all newer or older films? Did they seem to be trying hard to be “respectable” among the S&S type of critics? It’s telling to see when people really expand beyond a top 10.

By: Jeff

08.22.2013 @ 3:43 PM

Some of the ones that haven’t held up so well for me are AMERICAN GRAFFITI, BLUE VELVET, HANNAH AND HER SISTERS, NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD, THE WILD BUNCH.

By: JoeK

08.22.2013 @ 4:40 PM

There is something seriously weird about the public’s propensity to freak out when a celebrity from virtually any walk of life doesn’t behave or talk in a manner predicted or expected.

By: Paul S

08.22.2013 @ 5:30 PM

It’s an impossible task to limit one’s favourite films to just 10 or 20. There are so many films from Billy Wilder, David Lean, Michael Curtiz, George Cukor, Spielberg, Scorcese, Coppola, James Cameron, Mike Nichols and many many others.
The passage of time and a viewers gaining maturity is definitely a big factor. The first time I saw The Deer Hunter, it was in the late 1980’s at the height of the Hollywood ‘Nam films era. For some reason, it didn’t work for me like Platoon or Full Metal Jacket did. Then, I revisited it a few years ago & was gobsmacked! Now it’s one of my favourite movies.

By: DAC

08.22.2013 @ 11:47 PM

I saw Five Graves to Cairo when it aired on TCM several years ago. I loved it and have been trying to see it again since.

By: DAC

08.22.2013 @ 11:49 PM

Write a comment.I saw Five Graves to Cairo when it aired on TCM several years ago. I loved it and have been trying to see it again since…

By: DAC

08.22.2013 @ 11:49 PM

Sorry for the double post.

By: Mike

08.23.2013 @ 1:23 AM

Totally agree with the author, but why did this become news suddenly? The Sight & Sound poll results and lists were released nearly a year ago.

By: HitFix User

08.23.2013 @ 1:50 PM

Like BookJeff mentioned above, Five Graves to Cairo is on DVD now! Via TCM: [shop.tcm.com]